Envelope-filling machine



Sept. 21 1926. v 1,600,320

J. DANQUIGNr-:Y

ENVELOPE FILLI NG MACHINE Filed Feb. 1o. 192 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ad INVENTOR yk/ l ATTORNEY sept. 21, 102e. 1,600,320

J. DANQUIGNEY ENVELOPE FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 1o. 192e 2 sheets-sheet 2 X9 g1 /37 n f5 I f7 Patented sept. 21, 1926.

UNITED STATES JULrUs DANQUIGNEY, or cormeuafnnw Yoan.

ENVELQPE-FILLING MACHINE.4

Application filed February 10, 1926. Serial No. 87,212. V

This invention relates to machines 'or methods Ifor introducing articles or commodities into envelo es or analogous containers and sealing t e same, and has particular reference to automatic machinery and processes for filling powder puffs into sanitary containers or envelopes and sealing them preparatory to placing the puffs on the market as unitary items.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide automatic machinery and methods of so feeding or delivering a plurality of powder puffs along a chute or runway, and thence singly from the series by means of mechanical ejector mechanism for delivering the powder puffs singly into receptacles such as envelopes for the market.

Another object of the invention is to' provide means including the projection of a stream of fluid such as air upon the envelopes so as to accomplish two results,- namely, the opening out of the first envelope, the one to be filled, and, secondly the holding of the flap of such envelope and the bulk of the succeeding envelopes in flat stead. position whereby the article` being introduced into the envelope so standing open will have free movement to its place.

A further object of the invention is to provide especially designed ejector mechanism for discharging a filled envelope from the place where it is filled so that it may be delivered to the succeeding mechanism, while the succeeding envelopes and the articles to be filled thereinto will be retained in proper position until the next actuation of the ejector.

A still further object .of the invention is to provide conveyer mechanism for receiving the filled envelopes in succession as they are ejected from the filling machine and causing said filled envelopes to be transported to any suitable place of delivery and having means provided for sealing the envelopes while being so transported. y

.With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or su gested herein, still for the purpose of i lustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference vis had to the accompaning drawings in which like reference characters designate the same parts in theseveral views, and in which- Flgure 1 1s a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of themechanism, partsof the conveyer being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged diagrammatic view of the mechanism for supporting the bulk of envelopes and showing particularly the action of the jet of air incident to the filling operation.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views similar to the upper portion of Fig. 1, withA parts in operation of the filling and ejecting mechanlsms.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the mechanism as would be 'seen from thev left of Fig. 1, the conveyer being in longitudinal section.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing particularly the machine at the region of the envelopes and delivery to or toward the seallng mechanism. y

Figs. 7 and 8 are diagrammatic cross sectional details showing the progressive stages in the sealing of the envelopes.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the relation of the sealing belt to the conveyer.

Fi 10 is a view showing the sealing belt and 1ts relation to the conveyor in cross section substantially on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Referrin now more specifically to the drawings, show at 11 a hopper or receptacle at the front or lower end 4of an 1nclined runwa or chute 12 into which a multiplicity o substantially uniform articles such as-powder puffs P are introduced and urged forward or downward moderately by any suitable mechanism typified by a plun er or follower 13 which may e a weig t slidable along the chute or its equivalent. The puff in the lead will always be held in contact with an ejector device in the nature of a gate 14` mounted to reciprocate in the end of the hopper remote from the follower, the same being guided for vertical reciprocations in guideways 15.

This ejector gate 14 is provided with a shoulder 16 which when the gate is elevated takes ove;` the topy of the then advanced -puf P, such puff coming against the thinner portion 17 ofthe gate below the shoulder which serves as a guard to prevent the puffs from passing too far laterally. When-the ate isdepressed on thenext downward re c1procation thepuf below the shoulder 16 section, and indicating successive stages' of will be ejected from the seriesfdownward 5 through an opening 18 and so set free to drop Any suitable means may be provided to reciprocate the ejector gate up and down for the purposes 'ust stated. As yshown the gate is provide with a pair of laterally projecting arms 20 connected to a cross head 21 having guide rods 22 movable verticallyin channels or tubular guides 23 secured rigidly to the main: frame or platform '24. Said rods 22 are connected at'their lower ends, through pin and slot connections at 25, with a third class lever 26 pivoted at 27 on a fixed fulcrum. A contractile spring 28 extending between the fixed platform 24 and the lever 26 serves to lift the lever and the actuator mechanism, swinging the lever upward as shown in Fig. 1 and bringing the parts into the position shown in Fig. 1.-

For reciprocating the ejector downward against t vide a shaft 29 journaled for rotation around a horizontal axis in fixed bearings 30, said shaft carrying a finger or cam 3l which strikes upon the vlever not far remote from its pivot, causing it to move downward and bring with it the ejector mechanism to the position shown in Fig. 4, completing the discharge or delivery of one powder puff.

For the `delivery of the powder uff singly into envelopes such as indicated) at E, I provide below the ejector a holder 32 for such envelopes which being very thin will provide for the holding of a large number thereof ina small space preferably against the inclined wall 33 beneath the hopper 11, the top of the inclinedV Wall being tilted rearward with respect to the direction of delivery of the envelopes singly therefrom.

A portion 34 of the rigid frame structure whic includes the guides 23 serves two functions: First, to su port at 35 an air tube 36 whose nozzle 37 is irected laterally close in front of the holder 32,*and, secondly, to support an abutment 38 lying in the path of a finger-39 extending laterally from the upper end of a air of ejector fingers 40 Elvoted at 41 to t e gate mechanism. Said f ngers project mainly downward but are bent slightl to extend beneath the thin portlon 17 of t e gate whence the points of the -fingers are bent directly downward again as shown best in Figs. 1 and l3. The tube 36 carries a stream of dry fluid such as air from any suitable source not shown and directs the same squarely against the upwardly extending flap portions e of the envelopes, especially the one '1n advance. v This streame force of the spring 28 I pro" of lair on striking the fla e is deflected, a portion thereof passing ownwardcausing the first envelope to open out wide as shown in Fig. 2, whlle the other portion of the stream holds firmly the flap in place and the succeeding envelopes in fiat position'. The stream of air, however, has insufficient force to disturb the fall of the powder puff' which drops into the then open envelope as shown in Fig. 4, the envelope being positioned directly beneath the opening 18 in the bottom of the hopper. he powder puff thus falls directly downward into the open envelope close back of the points of the lfingers 40. IVhile the ejector gate moves ydownward to eject a puff from theA 11o per, the fingers 40 will hkewise be broug t downward, the points thereof entering the open envelope, and when the ejector mecnanism approaches the lower limit of movement, the fingers 39 of the ejector device will strike the abutment 38 and cause the tilting of the ejector fingers as shown in Fig. 4

to cause the filled envelope to be discharged laterally from the holder 32, whence it slides along a guideway 42 to any desired place of delivery. The remaining unfilled envelopes are retained in` upright or substantially upright positionY parallel to the wall 33 by lthe continued stream from the nozzle 37. The ejector fingers swing freely upon their pivot 41, and so when the ejector gate is again lifted by the spring 28, they fingers will assume their normal balanced position as in Figs. 1 and 3. The attendant of the machine has but to keep'the runway 12`and hopper 11 supplied with powder puffs and also keep a supply of they envelopes in the holder 32, and the machine'acting automatically will fill and deliver the same rapidly. An' elastic abutment member 40ll ensures Aproper tilting of the envelopes as shown in Fig. 4.

43 indicates a platform or table extending preferably slightly beneath the runway 42. Operating over this latform 43 is a carrier belt 44 upon whic is received directly the powder puffs in succession from the runway 42, the sealing fiap e of each en` velopeV being at such time directed rearward or toward the place whence it came. The envelopes are carried by this carrier belt directly forward or to the right in Fig. 5 and are gripped between the carrier belt and the gripper belt 45 driven in any convenient manner to compel the adjacent runs of the two belts to move in unison, holding the filled envelop firmly between'them while being transported. These belts mav be operated in any convenient manner. ut as indicated I show the ejector operating shaft 29 driven at relatively low speed from a motor M, and to the end of the shaft 29 is fixed a pulley 46v having a belt 47 running over another pulley 48 fixed to the shaft 49 of the head drum 50 of the carrier belt. As shown the gripper belt is operated from a pulley 5l on the same'shaft 49 through a crossed belt 52 operating over a pulle 53 connected to a shaft 54 upon which the ead drum 55 of the gripper belt is mounted.

The gripper belt is materially narrower than the carrier belt 44 insuring that not only the sealing flap e, but also 'the mouth portion of the envelope, will be exposed for free sealing action.``

Referring now to Figs-6 to 10, the loose flap e of the envelope as the envelope is being conveyed between the belts will glide under a guide rod 56 whose front end is curved and fixed at 57 fto a stationary frame member, while its rear end is free., and said flap will glide over a deflector 58 shortly after passing under the curved front end of the rod 56, whereby the flap will be tilted upward in position to receive a spray of moisture such as water from a nozzle 59 as shown in Fig. 7. This tilting action is aided by a sealing belt 60 which runs about the carrier belt and moves therewith. The sealing belt is arranged to act in the manner of a cam for effecting a uniform positive folding of flap e. Thus said belt is inclined by a roller 61 after leaving a roller 62 to act at an angle to the plane of the carrier belt, the elevated position of the sealing belt insuring free movement of the envelope E therebeneath by the carrier and grlpper belts. Finally a roller 63 having flanges 64 effectively depresses the sealing belt upon the carrier belt to cause the flap e to be retained in snug Contact with the body of the envelopeE. At the same time the roller 63 by means of flanges 64 operates to move the sealing belt laterally to move the same over the path of movement of the flap e. In this way a sort of continuous action is provided.

Immediatey after receiving the vspray from the nozzle 59, the up tilted moistened flap will receive on its opposite or outside a jet of air from an air trunk 65, see Fig. 8, the force of which passing through downwardly projected ports 66 will throwthe moistened flap over downward upon the main body of the envelope where it will stick and thereby the envelope will be sealed initially. Soon thereafter the sealing belt 60 which is gradually depressed will again vcontact the flap e and bear downward with sufficient firmness while the envelope is being conveyed forward by the belts to insure perfect sealing. `While the sealing operation progresses the sealed mouth of the envelope will be stripped directly from the free end of the rod 56. The envelopes will then be carried forward and delivered successively in sealed sanitary condition for delivery from the delivery end of the carrier belt. A roller 67 co-operates with the sealing belt to insure release of a powder puff P from between the carrier belt and the lsealing belt.

It will be observed that through co-operation of the air jet and the sealing belt, an envelope of particularly Weak material such as one that might be formed of an organic compound can be folded neatlyand sealed snugly. The operation of the machine is continuous and isl rapid as well as being automatic. A single attendant keeping the hopper and envelope holder supplied with material will have complete control of the apparatus.

- I claim:

1. The method of opening a flexible envelope havmg an open but collapsed mouth and. an extended flap which consists in directlng the flow of a fluid laterally against said flap and into the envelope to expand the same and open said mouth.

2. The method of expanding a flat' collapsed envelope having an open end and a flap at said end, which comprises directing a flow of an opening medium into the en velope and against said flap to expand the envelope from flattened collapsed condition and render the same operative to receive an article through said end.

3. The method of sealing an envelope having a flap wh1ch comprises direting4 a Jet of gas against the flap to cause the same to fold over toward and upon the body of the envelope.

4. The method of gluing together two flexible members which comprises subjecting the same to the force of a jet of fluid to cause the members to closely contact each other and render the glue effective therebetween.

5. In a machine of the class set forth, the combination of means to support an envelope having a flap, and means to fold the flap upon the envelope comprising a jet of gas which is caused to impnge against the 6. In a packing machine, the combina-4 tion of means for supporting an envelope, feeding means for supplying an article-tov be received by said envelope, means for directing a jet of gas transversely to the path of movement ofthe article toward theenvelope, and means for deflecting a part of the Jet to flow into the envelope' and open the same to receive said article.

f?. A machine as 'set forth in claim 6 wherein said jet is directed initially against the envelope whereby the portion of the jet inthe path of movement of the single articles, means to cause the opening of the ad'- vanced envelope so as to receive in its open mouth the oncoming article, and means for r5 delivering the filled envelope from the holder.

9. Mechanism as set forth inwclaim 8 in which the means for ejecting the lilled en. velope is carried by the means' for delivering the articles toward the envelopes. v10 In testimony whereof I axmy signature.

JULIUS DANQUIGNEY. 

